Santa Ana : Schools Hurt by Lack of Construction Funds

Santa Ana Unified School District, which has one of the fastest-growing enrollments in California, is among the districts being hurt by a statewide drought of school construction money, state Supt. of Public Instruction Bill Honig said Thursday.

Honig spoke at the annual management seminar of Santa Ana Unified School District. The seminar was held on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona.

In his talk to about 175 school administrators, Honig criticized state government for not providing its share of school construction money. Honig also blasted the state Office of Local Assistance, which funnels school construction money. He said that agency often needlessly delays processing of school-related requests.

“We have a tremendous problem in the way that things are processed at the state level,” Honig said.

The state schools chief said that despite growing enrollment statewide, the state has failed to keep enough money in the school construction fund to meet the need for new facilities. He said no new money will be in the fund until December, when a $400-million bond issue is sold.

Diane Thomas, spokeswoman for Santa Ana Unified, said the district is already feeling the lack of state of school-construction money. Noting that Santa Ana has plans for at least 14 new schools, Thomas said the emptying of the state fund “will delay us at least four to six months” in the construction timetable.